New Bern Puppets have been working on small, parade puppet stages for our Pelham- and Czech-sized marionettes. We are pleased with the final results!
The plans. With the shoulder strap holding up the stage, we have two hands to operate the puppet.
First we designed a cardboard prototype. Friends helped us cut the particle board into the right sizes.
We glued additional wood pieces on the back to provide a half inch thickness. Hopefully that will provide more strength for the screws. The plywood is 1/4 of an inch. We didn’t want the portable stages to be too heavy.
Just the right size! Our Pelham monkey is 12 inches tall. The floor is 20 inches long with the back 16 inches high.
We painted the stages a cheerful yellow (which matches our banners and shirts). With the hinges, the stage can be folded for transport.
We next added scenery. We used AI to generate a European town and a country scene with a castle in the background.
Looks great! A perfect setting for our Czech puppets like our elf. Instead of chains, we used a gold cord to keep the floor level and not fall.
We adjusted the strap to lift up the stage a couple of inches, makes it easier to walk. I practiced walking outside. We are excited to use these parade stages!
We took the portable parade puppet stage for a test-drive in downtown New Bern. We managed to fit in one shop stop and entertained some seniors before it started raining.
